Planning Stages Part 2
by suzie2b
Summary: Life goes on.
**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Planning Stages Part 2**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **Not being able to get married was a big disappointment to Tully and Charley. However, they decided it was more important to stay together. They moved into their apartment and over the next few weeks fell into life together.**

 **The cast was removed from Charley's hand and she was happy to be able to wear her engagement ring again. She and Tully picked up the wedding set from Malik, which turned out beautiful and he had engraved the Arabic word for love –** الحب – **on them for free as a gift. Charley wrapped them carefully and put them in the back of one drawer of the dresser.**

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 **One morning, about a month later, Charley awoke before the alarm and turned it off. Tully had the day off and she figured it wouldn't hurt if he got a little extra sleep. She carefully crawled over him and got out of bed. She slipped on her robe, gathered her clothes, and silently left the apartment for the bathroom.**

 **When Charley returned after cleaning up and getting dressed, she found Tully dressed and tying his boots. "What are you doing up? I thought you'd want to sleep."**

 **Tully smiled. "I've got this one day off before leaving tomorrow for a week. I want to spend as much time with you as possible."**

 **Charley put her robe on the bed and went to get socks and her boots. "So you're going to follow me around while I make deliveries. Sounds like an exciting way to spend a morning."**

 **Tully stood up and headed for the door. "Any time I spend with you is exciting to me. Be right back." When he returned, she was ready to go. "Let's get some breakfast."**

 **After eating, Charley and Tully went to headquarters. As Charley sorted through her deliveries, she found a sealed envelope with her name on it. She opened it and found a note from Captain Boggs.**

 **Tully was leaning against a file cabinet. "What's that?"**

 **Charley shrugged. "Just a note from Captain Boggs. Looks like I have a mission. I'm to report to him tomorrow morning instead of doing deliveries." She folded the piece of paper and put it back in the envelope before dropping it in her satchel.**

 **They spent the morning hand-in-hand as they walked around the base. The last stop, as usual, was the supply depot with requisitions. Then Charley and Tully headed for lunch.**

 **After he'd swallowed a bite of his macaroni and cheese, Tully asked, "What do you usually do after deliveries when I'm not here?"**

" **I'm done for the day unless the captain needs me for something. I normally go back home and do chores or read. Today the only thing I need to do is take a basket of laundry to Salma to be washed."**

" **Why are we paying her to wash our clothes when the army would do it for free?"**

 **Charley smiled. "Because she does a good job, she doesn't use starch on everything, and her family needs the money."**

 **After dropping the laundry off, Charley and Tully met Hitch at the motor pool. Charley sat in one of the jeeps as the two men checked out the vehicles ahead of their departure the next morning.**

 **As Tully filled the radiators, he asked, "Did they get your transmission fixed?"**

 **Hitch was checking fuel lines. "Wasn't worth fixing. They gave me a refurbished one."**

" **Yeah, after this mission I'll probably have them switch mine out too."**

" **We're going to be gone a week. You sure you want to wait?"**

 **Tully tightened the radiator cap. "Should be fine for one more trip."**

 **Hitch looked at Charley after he dropped the hood. "Was there a requisition for our supplies in with your deliveries this morning?"**

 **Charley nodded. "I made sure it was on top when I dropped the stack off. Stuff should be here sometime this afternoon."**

 **After dinner at the café they lived over, Charley and Tully went upstairs to their apartment with a bottle of wine. Charley undressed as Tully watched. She reached for her robe and said with an impish grin, "I'm going to take a shower. Care to join me?"**

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 **Before daylight the next morning the alarm woke them. Charley groaned against Tully's shoulder as he reached to turn on the bedside lamp before silencing the alarm. He then kissed the top of her head and smiled. "Good morning, beautiful."**

 **Charley sighed sleepily. "Why does morning have to come so early?"**

 **Tully rolled out of bed and went to start dressing. "Why don't you stay in bed and sleep? You don't need to be in Captain Boggs' office for hours yet."**

 **Charley sat up and grabbed her robe. "I'm not going to see you for a week. I want to at least have breakfast with you." She stood and headed for the door as she put the robe on. "I'm going to go get cleaned up."**

 **After they ate, Charley and Tully went to the motor pool, where Hitch and Tully took care of a few last minute details. When Troy and Moffitt showed up, Charley and Tully said their good-byes with a kiss and "I love you." Charley added her usual, "Be careful."**

 **Charley went to Captain Boggs' office at eight o'clock. She was given her assignment and discovered that she was to leave immediately. Corporal Evans met Charley outside headquarters in a jeep and they were off.**

 **Three days later, the corporal dropped her at headquarters so she could check in and drop the return message with the captain. Then she headed home for a shower and some sleep.**

 **#############################**

 **It was early morning six days after the Rat Patrol had left on their latest mission. It had been successful, no one was injured, and they were able to return to Ras Tanura early. Tired and eager for rest, Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch headed for their quarters while Tully walked home.**

 **He quietly unlocked the door and stepped inside the darkened apartment. He went to the window and opened the shutter just enough to lighten the room a bit. Tully smiled when he saw Charley curled up with her back against the wall, blankets and quilt covering all but the top of her head. He was glad he was able to get home on her regular day off.**

 **Tully undressed quickly and got into bed. As he pulled Charley into his arms, he noticed that she was wearing one of his shirts.**

 **Charley stirred and smiled groggily. "Hey, you're back early."**

 **Tully grinned and gave her kiss. "Nice lingerie."**

" **I always wear one of your shirts to bed when you're not around to sleep with me. Hope you don't mind."**

" **Mind? I think it's sexy." Tully started to unbutton the shirt as Charley moved to straddle his hips.**

 **Hours later they were awakened by someone knocking on the door. Tully got up and put his boxers on, then yawned as he opened the door. Captain Boggs' aide was standing there. "Sorry to disturb you, but the captain wants to see you and Charley."**

 **Tully sighed. "When?"**

" **As soon as possible."**

 **Tully nodded and closed the door. He went back to the bed and sat down.**

 **Charley grumbled, "This isn't supposed to happen on my day off."**

 **Tully leaned down and smiled as he kissed her. "Well, the sooner we get this out of the way, the sooner we can get back to what's important."**

 **#############################**

 **Charley and Tully sat down in front of Captain Boggs' desk. Tully had expected to see Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch, but it was just the two of them.**

 **The captain looked at Tully and said, "Sorry to drag you in here. I know you haven't had much sleep."**

" **That's all right, sir. I've got all day to sleep." Tully's brow furrowed. "Don't I?"**

 **Captain Boggs smiled. "This won't take long, private. I received a call from Colonel Williams this morning." He picked up several pieces of paper and handed them to Tully. "He worked hard to get things straightened out for you two."**

 **Tully looked at the paperwork, then at the captain. Then he looked at the paperwork again before looking at Charley, who looked worried and asked, "What is it?"**

 **Tully stammered, "It … it's paperwork saying we can … can get married."**

 **Charley took the papers and stared at them as Captain Boggs said, "Just fill in the date, sign it, and give them back to me. I'll take care of the rest."**

 **Charley looked at the captain. "How did my father find out about this?"**

" **Well, after I had to give Private Pettigrew the bad news about having to split you two up after you get married, I did some thinking about that regulation. A couple days later I decided to call the colonel in Virginia. I explained the situation to him and he said he would look into it."**

" **So we can get married … and Tully and I can stay here … together? How did my father get a regulation changed?"**

 **Captain Boggs stood and walked around the desk. "He didn't get the regulation changed, but he did find a loop hole. It states that if 'army personnel' are married it's necessary for one to be shipped to another base." He leaned back against the desk. "You, Miss Williams are technically not army personnel. You are a volunteer. You never officially joined the army. So you are free to go ahead with your plans."**

 **Without thinking, Charley jumped up and hugged the captain. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you!" When she realized what she was doing, she took a step back. "Sorry, sir."**

 **Captain Boggs chuckled. "Perfectly all right, Miss Williams. Just don't make it a habit."**

 **Tully stood up, but he wasn't sure if should salute or shake the captain's hand. Captain Boggs stuck his hand out to the private and said, "Congratulations."**


End file.
